Method for fenestration of contact lenses

ABSTRACT

This disclosure shows a means and method of fenestrating contact lenses by use of a series of very small tools specifically a small hand drill, a tapered reamer, and a bevelling tool having a 90* point to bevel the edges of the hole, and a polishing and smoothing device combined with the bevelling tool so as to give a final polish to the edges of the hole. The method is carried out by first drilling the hole, reaming the thus drilled hole to predetermined size, and finally bevelling then polishing the edges of the hole.

United States Patent Pereira [54] METHOD FOR FENESTRATION OF CONTACT LENSES [72] Inventor: Adolf J. Pereira, 9800 SW. 15th St., Miami, Fla. 33144 [22] Filed: March 15, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 124,237

[52] US. Cl. ..29/558, 33/178 B, 264/1, 264/155, 351/160, 408/1, 408/704 [51] Int. Cl. ..B23p 13/04 [58] Field of Search...29/558; 81/6; 264/1, 154, 155; 408/1, 704; 351/160, 177; 33/1 R, 200,178 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,641,161 6/1953 Silverstein ..351/160 3,297,396 1/1967 Wesley ..35l/160 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 263,340 8/ 1949 Switzerland ..408/704 1 Sept. 5, 1972 946,877 6/1949 France ..35l/160 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Contact Lens Routine and Practice, Second Edition, Butterworths Scientific Publications, 1957. pp. 71- 81, Scientific Library Primary Examiner-John F. Campbell Assistant ExaminerVictor A. D. Palma Att0rney--Meyer A. Baskin [5 7] ABSTRACT This disclosure shows a means and method of fenestrating contact lenses by use of a series of very small tools specifically a small hand drill, a tapered reamer, and a bevelling tool having a 90 point to bevel the edges of the hole, and a polishing and smoothing device combined with the bevelling tool so as to give a final polish to the edges of the hole. The method is carried out by first drilling the hole, reaming the thus drilled hole to predetermined size, and finally bevelling then polishing the edges of the hole.

4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures F5838 slam 3.888.386

w INVENTOR ADOLFO d. PEREIRH HTTORNEX METHOD FOR FENESTRATION OF CONTACT LENSES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For a number of years the use of fenestration in corneal contact lenses has been increasing since it gives a method of relieving discomfort caused by tearing or edema. In the past large elaborate devices have been used to accomplish the fenestration although more compact mechanically driven means of a drill press type have been designed such as illustrated in the article on page 21-23 of Contact Lens Medical Bulletin Vol. 2 No. 2, April/June 1969. This article shows a small drill designed especially for fenestration of corneal lenses in which high tolerance in the neighborhood of 0.005 mm is achieved. In the method shown in the article the contact lens is mounted in a wax base to hold it and a high speed electric drill rotating at about 5,000 rpm is used.

In addition to the expense and bulk and inconvenience of this machine the more serious disadvantage is that the high speed used often breaks the contact lens and if it does not break it will often generate sufficient heat particularly in the plastic contact lens so as to create optical flaws in the plastic lens.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the prior art difficulties as outlined above in a simple effective and economical manner. In summary, the fenestration of the contact lens is accomplished by drilling the hole with an extremely fine jewelers drill. In the next step the hole is brought to the correct size by reaming it out with a jewelers reamer. In the next step the hole is beveled on both sides by a bevelling tool and finally is polished with a moleskin polishing cloth which is attached to the opposite end of the bevelling tool from the bevel portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 shows the drill used in my fenestration procedure.

FIG. 2 shows the jewelers reamer used in my procedure.

FIG. 3 shows the special bevelling tool and polisher used in my procedure.

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are approximately full size.

FIG. 4 shows a greatly enlarged view of the drill of FIG. 1 in drilling position on the contact lens.

FIG. 5 shows the jewelers reamer in position in contact with the contact lens so as to make the hole the correct size.

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged view showing the action of the bevelling tool on the concave side of the contact lens.

FIG. 7 shows the bevelling tool in use on the convex side of the contact lens.

FIG. 8 shows the use of the end of the bevelling tool with moleskin to polish the edges of the hole after bevelling.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the following description like character references designate like parts in all figures.

Reference numeral 1 designates the body of a hand operated drill which holds a very small bit 2 which is held by chuck 3. A tapered jewelers reamer 4 is used to widen the hole to any desired diameter after the hole has been drilled in the contact lens by bit 2. Reamer 4 is usually of a five-sided type although it could also be square or other cross sectional configuration so long as it is very thin at the point and tapered to a slightly greater thickness at the base.

The bit 2 held in chuck 3 is used to drill the hole in a contact lens 5 as shown in FIG. 4. The reamer 4 is then thrust through the hole 6 to the desired depth and rotated by hand so as to enlarge the hole 6 to the desired diameter, as shown in FIG. 5.

The tapered reamer 4 determines the diameter of the hole by the depth of insertion. The actual size of the hole is checked by examining it with a magnifying loupe having engraved on its field of view a scale marked in tenths of millimeters. Another method of determining the hole diameter would be by marking the tapered reamer 4 along its length with markings to indicate the size of the hole that would be produced by inserting it to any given mark.

The use of the tapered reamer 4 also has the advantage of producing a smoother hole than is possible with a drill bit alone since drill bits often produce burrs in the hole. Due to the extreme delicacy of the eye even a microscopically small burr in the hole would make the lens useless. The use of the tapered reamer 4 obviates the use of drill bits of different sizes for different size holes. Thus I normally use a drill bit of about 0.275 mm diameter and enlarge and smooth the hole to any desired diameter by use of a tapered reamer 4.

The bevelling tool 7 having a bevelling tip 8 whose point is conical in shape is inserted into the hole 6 in the concave side and turned by hand to bevel the edges of the hole 6 as shown in FIG. 6. This bevelling cone preferably has a angle but could have an angle from about 80 to The conical bevelling tip 8 normally has a moderately rough surface which bevels the edge of hole 6 and also smooths the edge.

The bevelling tool 7 is also used to bevel the convex side of hole 6 as shown in FIG. 7.

After the bevelling operation the edges of the hole 6 are polished by rotating the opposite end of the bevelling tool 7, that is the round blunt end 9 having a small piece of moleskin 10 or other polishing substance attached to the surface thereof in the beveled hole 6 as shown in FIG. 8, Le. on the concave side of hole 6.

These tools are all operated by hand and the contact lens is held by resting it on soft non-slip surface such as foam rubber for the drilling operation. For the reaming, bevelling and polishing operation the lens is hand held. The bevelling tool 7 has a conical bevelling tip 8 at one end and a polishing end 9. This is the preferred and most convenient form of my invention. However, the two ends could be separated and used separately. But this would obviate the advantage of the cooperation between the two ends of the tool since both operations are done while the lens is hand held and it is important to be able to have both tools together in the other hand during these operations.

The means and method of the present invention have a very great advantage over prior art methods in that only simple and inexpensive tools are used and no high speed or power driven tool is used. In this way not only is the means and method much less expensive than that of the prior art but the danger of breaking the contact lens or of ruining its optical qualities by heating some portions of it are overcome and the danger of microscopic burrs is eliminated.

I have found that a fenestration hole of about 0.35 mm diameter to about 0.6 mm diameter is the preferred size of the hole depending on the central thickness of the contact lens. Thus I have found the following relationship between the central thickness of the lens and the fenestration diameter to be preferred.

Central Thickness Fenestration Diameter 0.14 mm. 0.35 mm.

0.15 mm. 0.4 mm. 0.16 mm. 0.5 mm. 0.17 mm. 0.6 mm.

When the central lens thickness is greater than 0.17 mm then more than one hole should be opened in the lens. If the lens is too thin relative to the fenestration diameter, it will tend to warp and therefore ruin the optical properties.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of fenestrating corneal contact lenses which comprises of the following steps:

a. drilling a hole in the lens with a hand drill,

b. reaming the said hole out to a predetermined size by means of a tapered reamer,

c. bevelling the reamed edges of said hole with a bevelling tool,

d. polishing the bevelled edges of said hole using a blunt ended instrument.

2. A method of fenestrating corneal contact lenses as in claim 1 in which the predetermined size of said hole is between about 0.35 and 0.6 mm.

3. A method of fenestrating corneal contact lenses as in claim 1 in which said reaming operation includes determining the size of said hole by examining it with a magnifying loupe having a built-in scale.

4. A method of fenestrating corneal contact lenses as in claim 1 in which said reaming operation includes determining the size of said hole by means of markings at predetermined points along the length of said tapered reamer.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,688,386 Dated September 5, 1972 Inventor(s) Adolfo J. Pereira It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover sheet [72] "Adolf" should read Adolfo Signed and sealed this 15th day of May 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents )RM PO-105O (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 u.s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I969 OJ66-334. 

1. A method of fenestrating corneal contact lenses which comprises of the following steps: a. drilling a hole in the lens with a hand drill, b. reaming the said hole out to a predetermined size by means of a tapered reamer, c. bevelling the reamed edges of said hole with a bevelling tool, d. polishing the bevelled edges of said hole using a blunt ended instrument.
 2. A method of fenestrating corneal contact lenses as in claim 1 in which the predetermined size of said hole is between about 0.35 and 0.6 mm.
 3. A method of fenestrating corneal contact lenses as in claim 1 in which said reaming operation includes determining the size of said hole by examining it with a magnifying loupe having a built-in scale.
 4. A method of fenestrating corneal contact lenses as in claim 1 in which said reaming operation includes determining the size of said hole by means of markings at predetermined points along the length of said tapered reamer. 